Match Preview: Scotland v Brazil

On Friday evening Scotland began their double header of matches in Spain with a frustrating 1-1 draw against Chile.

In a game Scotland dominated they were left frustrated when a penalty early on in the second half levelled the scores.

Parity was resumed shortly after when Scotland were in the ascendancy for the rest of the second half but they were unable to score past Christiane Endler in the Chile goal who proved to be a formidable presence in between the sticks.

Now Scotland are approaching their penultimate game before the FIFA World Cup, against one of the most famous footballing nations, Brazil.

Team News

Hayley Lauder is two caps away from joining the Scotland Women’s National Team 100 cap club, having made her debut for her country in 2010.

Lauder has happy memories of facing Brazil having scored against them in Scotland’s last encounter when they lost away from home 3-1.

What to expect from Brazil

Ranked 10th in the world, Brazil come into this game off the back of a 2-1 loss to Spain.

They have lost their last eight games but have played against top opposition in that time.

Brazil qualified for the World Cup with ease winning all seven of their matches, scoring 31 goals along the way and conceding just two. They averaged 4.42 goals and despite boasting the Marta and other big names such as Formiga, Andressa, Thais and Cristiane in their ranks, their leading scorer was six-goal Beatriz.

Their coach Oswaldo Alvarez, better known as Vadao, has enjoyed a distinguished coaching career spanning almost 30 years, including taking the likes of Rivaldo and Kaka under his wing when they were youngsters.

This will be the second time Scotland have faced Brazil.

Pre-match thoughts

Sophie Howard has returned to the squad for the first time since qualification against Albania last year. The defender has gone through a turbulent time with hamstring injuries but she is delighted to be back as World Cup preparations intensify.

She said: “It’s such a great feeling to be back with the girls as it was a rough patch not being in the squad and having to watch matches from home.

“When I was out a lot of the players messaged me and it meant a huge amount.

“I knew I wanted to come back, to not just play but I want to compete to the same level that I did before.

“The World Cup is close now but I’m trying not to put any pressure on myself. I’ve trained well this camp so hopefully I can get back on the pitch in a Scotland shirt against Brazil.

“At the moment I am just incredibly excited but as the squad announcement nears I’m sure a nervousness will creep in.

“The development of this squad has been insane, it’s been quite amazing.

“We’re at a point now where shouldn’t be afraid of anyone. We know that if we prepare well and play the way we can, we can compete with anyone.

“We obviously have respect for every team we play against but we’re not scared of any opposition and are confident in any game we play.

“The Chile game was disappointing but there was so many positive aspects to it so we now need to bounce back and make sure we get a positive result.”

How to follow the match

Scotland supporters will be able to watch the match live on the BBC ALBA and BBC Sport online.